Discovery of a New Compound, Erinacerin W, from the Mycelia of Hericium erinaceus, with Immunomodulatory and Neuroprotective Effects.

One new compound with an isoindolinone skeleton, along with erinacines A, C, and S, was isolated from the mycelia of Hericium erinaceus, an edible fungus with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Based on analysis of MS and NMR spectral data, the structure of the compound was identified as (2E,6E)-8-(2-(1-carboxy-3-methylbutyl)-4,6-dihydroxy-1-oxoisoindolin-5-yl)-2,6-dimethylocta-2,6-dienoic acid. In light of this discovery, we have given this compound the name erinacerin W. Using a co-culture in vitro LPS-activated BV2 microglia-induced SH-SY5Y neuroinflammation model, the results showed that erinacerin W demonstrated protection against the LPS-activated BV-2 cell-induced overexpression of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α on SH-SY5Y cells. This finding may provide potential therapeutic approaches for central nervous disorders.

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of a novel enol ether nor-sesquiterpene isolated from Myrtus nivellei Batt. & Trab.

Myrtus nivellei is a plant traditionally used to treat diseases including infection of microbial origin. Several M. nivellei Batt. & Trab. extracts (dichloromethane, methanol and ethanol/water) were screened for their activity against 36 microorganisms, including strains resistant to antibiotics. These extracts inhibited on average 15 bacteria strains with minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.07 to 1.20 mg/mL. Bioassay guided fractionation was carried out with bioautography on TLC plates using four pathogenic bacteria strains, and following chromatographies (CPC and HPLC) led to the isolation of two novel enol ether nor-cadinane sesquiterpenes from the dichloromethane extract. The major compound (1) showed a strong antibacterial activity. Minimal inhibition concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined against four bacteria: Acinetobacter baumanii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Staphylococcus lugdunensis. The best activity was observed against Acinetobacter baumanii with a MIC value of 9.7 µg/mL. This novel compound was also very active against a Staphylococcus aureus strain resistant to amoxicillin (MIC 19.5 µg/mL). In addition, compound 1 showed a very high antioxidant activity with both DPPH and metal chelate methods.